


A Flame in the Darkness

by GoldenGirlGalaxy



Category: Cardcaptor Sakura, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: BAMF Midoriya Izuku, Gen, Good Parent Midoriya Inko, Magic-User Midoriya Izuku, Quirkless Midoriya Izuku, Supportive Midoriya Inko, Vigilante Midoriya Izuku
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-24 21:54:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17712299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenGirlGalaxy/pseuds/GoldenGirlGalaxy
Summary: Growing up without a Quirk, Izuku found that he may never be a hero like the ones on TV. But, with his mother's support, Izuku decides to become the hero for his neighborhood, helping out those in need with tasks. A simple life, but a life nonetheless.And then he releases a bunch of magic cards onto the world.With his new task of gathering the cards before they can cause havoc, more sides to the world are revealed to Izuku, particularly that of the magic side. In his quest, he will find a dozen different challenges, including an evil far worse than any villain attack. But he'll make it through, will a smile on his face like a great hero.Now, if only the police would see it that way...





	1. Prologue: A Hero in Your Own Way

**Author's Note:**

> "To keep a lamp burning we have to keep putting oil in it."  
> -Mother Teresa

Inko sighed as she looked down at her son, the young boy nibbling on a cookie with tear marks down the sides of his face.

_ Hold yourself together, _ she told herself.  _ You have to be strong. For Izuku. _

She recited that to herself a few time, a mantra that prevented her from coming undone at the seams. When she felt she was ready, she gently tapped her son on his shoulder.

The boy’s sorrowful eyes, filled with still unshed tears, almost broke her.

_ No! Don’t become consumed by sadness! _ She scolded herself.  _ Keep it together! _

She took a deep breath. “Izuku, I know you asked me earlier if you could be a hero even if you didn’t have a Quirk. I’ll admit, if I didn’t think it though, I would have truly believed you wouldn’t be able to.”

A look of betrayal crossed Izuku’s face.

“But!” Inko continued. “I have a question to ask you. Why do you want to be a hero?”

Izuku froze for a second. “I… I want to be a hero… like All Might… because… because I want to  _ help _ people. That’s what heroes do. They help  _ everyone _ with a smile on their face.”

“And why do you think not having a Quirk should stop you from doing that?”

“What?” Izuku gasped.

Inko smiled warmly. “Just because you may not have a Quirk doesn’t mean you can’t help people, it just means you have to be smart in how you help them. It doesn’t always take some super power to go around and help those who need it.”

“But what about all the heroes on TV?” Izuku asked.

Inko’s expression darkened. “Izuku, not all of those heroes are  _ true _ heroes.”

“Huh?” Izuku blinked.

The mother sighed. “Many of those heroes are only heroes on the outside. They might ‘save’ people but only for fame or money. Many of them don’t care about others, just the paycheck they get at the end of the day or how many people adore them.”

“Is All Might like that?” Izuku said, horror spread across his face.

Inko chuckled a little. “No. He’s actually one of the few heroes I’ve seen who actually cares more about others than his popularity.”

Izuku sighed in relief. “So… I can become a hero?”

“Yes, in your own way, but be  _ smart _ . Many of the heroes you see on TV are always in danger, and you could easily get hurt if you aren’t careful. And without a Quirk, you have no inherent protection, so,  _ please _ , think before you act.”

Izuku looked up to his mother, seeing the pleading look in her eyes. He hadn’t thought much about heroes and heroics before, but maybe it was time to do so.

The boy nodded. “Okay, mommy.”


	2. One to Start It All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It only takes one event, one magic book, one card, for Izuku to be thrown into a quest of magical proportions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “It only takes one smile to offer welcome… and blessed be the person who will share it. It only takes one moment to be helpful… and blessed be the person who will spare it. It only takes one joy to life a spirit… and blessed be the person who will give it. It only takes one life to make a difference… and blessed be the person who will live it.”  
> -Amanda Bradley

The sun rose over the horizon as sakura blossoms danced in the wind. A rather strong gust blew a handful of petals off the branch of a single tree, moving them freely through the air.

_In every world, there is magic. I have known this instinctually, longer than I can ever remember. Though other powers have come out of the woodwork, magic shall always be a base of every world, even when we can’t feel it, even if it takes another form._

The petals caught onto the current that set them free, causing them to go flying high above the city, glass windows on tall buildings gleaming in the morning light.

_However, some worlds forget that magic is there. They see it as nothing more than fantasy, something made up in stories to explain the world before science came about. Such is the case with this world._

The petals are pulled down by the air, coming down to a pair of people fighting in the streets, a crowd of people behind them.

_In this world, there are superpowers known as Quirks. Genetic powers that have been around for roughly two hundred years, giving humans abilities of varying potential. But…_

The two fighters each unleash an attack, which causes a fiery explosion. All but one of the petals are burned, the final one being pushed away from the fighting instead.

_Those who are Quirk-touched may never find the world of magic and even unknowingly destroy it. Many heroes’ lust for fame and fortune cause them to lose sight of some of the more important things and the greater dangers, thus comes the downfall of humanity._

The petal falls back to the earth, fluttering in through an open window.

_But there is still hope remaining. Someone is out there, who can reignite the flame of magic and spread it around the world, protecting others whether it be through enlightenment or by giving them tools of defense. Though there will be many trials, I believe that a single person can change the world for the better, a voice that will spark the hearts of many. That will enlighten more minds than any scholar. That will make people act for the better._

The petal gently lands on a desk, where a hands picks it up. A pair of bright, green eyes stare at the lone bit of blossom.

_Yes, I believe it only takes one to be the flame in the darkness._

* * *

“Hey, Mom! Look what I found!”

Inko smiled as she turned around, seeing her son come up to her with cupped hands.

“Oh, a sakura petal,” she exclaimed. “Where did you find that?”

“It was in my room,” Izuku explained. “It must have flown in through my window.”

“I guess that means the cherry blossoms are in bloom,” Inko stated. “The new school year must be starting soon. We’ll have to get some of your lesson plans ready.”

“Don’t worry, Mom,” Izuku affirmed. “You know I’m always quick with my lessons.”

“So, do you have any plans for today?” Inko asked as she moved breakfast she had been making to the kitchen table.

Izuku hummed in thought. “No one has asked me anything recently, so I’ll probably just go around town on my skateboard, see if anyone needs help.”

“Alright,” his mother responded. “Just be careful when your out there. And keep your distance from any hero fights. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Don’t worry,” Izuku reassured her. “I’m not stupid, even if the heroes can be.”

Inko softly chuckled at her son’s response before the two ate their breakfast.

* * *

Izuku stepped outside of his apartment building and hopped onto his board, skating down the sidewalks and being mindful of the pedestrians as he swerved around them. Though his destination wasn’t defined at first, he quickly thought of something when he remembered the petal he had found.

He adjusted his course and soon found himself at a park with a trail lined with cherry blossoms, all in bloom. He stepped off the board and connected it to his backpack as he started walking amongst the numerous trees.

When the wind whipped around him, the petals started to swirl around. Izuku smiled at the sight, stopping to watch the petals dance round him, a warm feeling in his chest as he observed the magical sight. He then continued walking down the paths that the trees covered, letting the petals fall onto him as he went.

However, he came across something that made him frown, a cold fury held underneath his eyes. Along the path, several craters were scattered about and some of the trees were knocked over or burnt, disrupting the beautiful nature of the path.

_Hero Fight._

He clenched his fists, anger starting to show through his other features. Faintly, he noticed how the wind seemed a bit more biting around him, the petals being thrown around more, but he ignored it as he calmed himself. He approached one of the fallen trees and looked it over, seeing if it was salvageable, before going to the next one. When he was done looking at all the attacked trees, he dug into his bag to pull out a pencil and notebook.

Sakura Trail needs restoration after stupid Hero Fight broke several trees and destroyed part of the ground. Likeliness city will handle it: Little to none, they care too much about the actual city to care about nature areas like the park. Jerks.

As Izuku was writing, he felt like someone was hovering over his shoulder as he scribbled down the note. He looked back, only to see no one in the area. Shrugging his shoulders, believing he had no reason to worry even if someone was looking at his writing, he quickly detailed a few notes about what he would need to fix the area before him. When he was done, he put away his tools and started walking along the path again, keeping an eye out for anymore destruction along the path.

Though the feeling of someone behind him never left until he was away from the trail.

* * *

“Hey, kiddo! How’s it going?”

Izuku smiled as he entered the cafe. It was a nice place called the _Silver Moon_. Inside, the floor was black carpet, the color stretching up onto the walls, forming pictures of shadowy landscapes, like hills, trees, and houses. The black gave way to a deep blue, with silvery stars and a crescent moon painted on top. Golden lamps were over each table and the front counter, giving just enough light to see but still keeping the atmosphere the colors set up.

The barista had been the one to call out, and she was wearing a black shirt with the cafe’s name in white over a silvery moon. Her black hair was tied into a ponytail and her icy blue eyes held fondness as she smiled from behind the counter.

“Nice to see you, Yuki,” Izuku greeted as he walked up to the counter and hopped onto one of the stools.

“Hot chocolate or shake?” Yuki asked.

“Hmm… Hot chocolate,” Izuku replied. “There’s still a bit of a nip in the air, especially in the morning.”

The teen nodded and quickly set to work, eventually placing down a steaming mug with mini marshmallows. Izuku grinned as he carefully took a sip.

“Planning on anything today?” Yuki asked.

Izuku shrugged as he put the mug down. “Nothing in general, though I did find another issue to work out.”

The teen raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

“The Sakura Trails was damaged in a hero fight,” the greenette explained. “Craters along the path and several trees damaged.”

“That’s terrible!” Yuki gasped. “Many people love those trails, especially children who don’t go to school.”

“And you know that the government isn’t going to put any funds into damage control, saving them for more _important_ matters,” Izuku said, fury returning as he stirred his drink. “Stupid heroes…”

“You still aren’t over your whole hero hating phase,” Yuki noted.

The boy looked up at her. “It’s not a phase. My hero _praising_ was the phase. Now, it’s being logical and seeing heroes as the greedy jerks they are, save the ones that actually do their jobs well and care for those they protect.”

“Eh, can’t argue with that,” the girl accepted. “Besides, who needs the heroes the media flaunts around when we have you, the hero of the neighborhood!”

Izuku blushed. “C-C’mon, I don’t do that much!”

The girl fondly shook her head. “Says the guy who’s planning on fixing the Sakura Trails without any one else asking or prompting him to.”

“I didn’t tell you that yet,” Izuku commented.

“But you just admitted it, otherwise you wouldn’t have said ‘yet’,” Yuki bragged.

“Dang it,” the greenette grumbled, as he took another sip of his cocoa.

The black haired girl just chuckled. “You know, I’ve been meaning to ask, do you have anything big planned?”

Izuku blinked at her, pausing mid drink. “What do you mean?”

The girl dramatically waved her hands. “Well, you know, it’s the beginning of the new school year, a time for new beginnings. And, no offense, you have been doing the same thing for a few years now. Whether it’s helping out here, in the bakery, with the old ladies, walking dogs, fixing things, or just anything that needs to be done around the neighborhood. And whenever you’re not doing that you’re doing physical training. Do you think that there’s any way you can change things up? Maybe get some friends your age?”

Izuku contemplated her words for a moment. “I… I don’t know,” Izuku admitted. “Most of the kids around here my age are all stuck in the phase where they worship every single hero and believe having a Quirk is the only thing that makes you worthwhile. And a lot of them go to my old school, which means Katsuki probably has them under his thumb. Other than that, anything else I can do is too unrealistic, considering I’m an eleven year old Quirkless kid.”

“You sure about that? What about going back to a normal school?”

Izuku scoffed. “Yeah, right, didn’t you hear me? The last school I went to, which is the only school in the area, was awful and full of people I can’t stand with teachers who don’t deal with bullying, I can work at my own pace at home, and I enjoy my freedom, thank you.”

“How about helping around other neighborhoods?”

“Too far or too much risk. I may be taking self defense lessons and do regular physical training, but I’d rather not run into a guy with a knife or lethal Quirk.”

“Start a Youtube channel?”

“I don’t have the right software to make quality videos. Look, I don’t know why you’re asking me all these questions. I’m happy with things as they are right now with minimal boredom and I have enough people outside my age I’m friends with. If something does happen, I’ll be sure to try one of ideas you gave me, but stop with it for now.”

“Alright,” Yuki sighed. “I just want to make sure you have some variety in your life.”

“And doing a dozen different odd jobs isn’t variety?” Izuku snarked.

“You know what I mean!”

Izuku merely laughed.

* * *

It was around noon when Izuku found himself at a beach. Only instead of white sand, there were piles of garbage. The infamous dumping ground of Dagobah Beach was one of Izuku’s favorite hangouts when he wasn’t running errands, mainly because he could always seem to find treasure amongst the trash.

Today was no different, as he trekked along the shore carrying a plastic bag of treasure in his gloved hands.

_That’s a jewelry box I can fix up for mom, an old game system that can be repaired, and two dollars in coins,_ the greenette thought before looking up to the sun. _I might want to head home soon for lunch. But I’m sure I can do one more round around here._

As he was about to start hiking up on of the trash mounds, when a sound filled his ears. It sounded like someone was banging, as if they were trapped. There was also a faint sound of jingling bells.

“Is someone here?” Izuku called out. No response.

Just as he was about to turn away, thinking it was something off in the distance, a faint light caught his eyes. Looking over, he saw that a small pile of trash seemed to be glowing. Izuku walked over, carefully removing everything on top of the light. When he removed the last item, a tire, the light vanished. There he saw his prize, something which honestly confused him.

Sitting before him was a pink book in great condition. There were gold and red designs covering the front, most notably a large, winged mountain lion in the center. To the side, there was a wing shaped clasp. On the top, there was a name plate that said _Sakura_.

“Did someone drop this here?” Izuku mumbled. “This looks brand new. And why was it glowing? Is it some sort of diary?”

Suddenly the clasp on the book popped off by itself. Izuku jumped and almost threw the book away. However, when he saw that it was just the clasp, curiosity overtook him and he opened the book. Inside, he found that there weren’t any actual pages, the middle of the book being hollowed out. Inside that section, there sat a deck of cards.

Izuku started walking off the trash heap as he looked at the inside. “Is this some sort of new trading card series I haven’t heard of?”

When he reached on of the few patches of cleared sand, he took off his gloves and put down his bag of treasure. He then picked up the top card, noticing some writing at the bottom.

“English?” Izuku wondered aloud. “Hmmm… Win…”

As he was trying to pronounce the word, Izuku failed to notice the way the sky mysteriously got darker, turning from noon to twilight in a matter of moments. Around his feet, a glowing wind started to gather.

* * *

A hero fight across town abruptly stopped when they noticed the sky.

“What’s the meaning of this, villains?” One of the heroes shouted.

“You mean your not doing this?” Their opposition shouted. “Then who the heck is?”

Civilians watching from the sidelines also looked up, curious as to what had happened.

* * *

“Wind…”

* * *

In a the school nearby, students all looked outside to see what was happening.

“Do you think a Quirk is causing that?”

“Maybe it’s a hero fight?”

“Are we in trouble?”

“Hey Katsuki,” a chubby boy with red wings said as he turned to the ash blonde, “what do you think this is? You’re the smart one here.”

The ash blonde just scoffed. “It’s probably nothing. It might just be some kid who just found their Quirk. And it’s probably a lame one if it can only darken the sky.”

* * *

“Windy?”

* * *

Everything became chaotic.

As soon as Izuku said the word aloud, the card turned into a glowing blue light. A summoning circle appeared at his feet and glowing winds swirled around him. Bits of lighter garbage and sand started to go flying, the nearby water coming with it. 

Around town, people were in shock as a sudden light show seemed to appear, glowing winds and flashes of light. No one knew what to do, everyone seemed to be frozen in place as the mysterious happenings raged on.

The greenette held the book and card as tightly as he could while moving his arm to cover his eyes from the winds. However, despite his hold on the book, the cards inside were left to the mercy of the wind, and were soon caught by the currents. One by one, each card was ripped from the book.

Izuku looked down just in time to see the last cards flying away. As they were caught on the winds, each one gained a golden glow around them before they vanished into the sky.

When all the cards were gone, the winds calmed, the circle beneath the boy vanishing as the card returned to its original form. They sky also returned to its normal coloring.

“Wh-what was that?” Izuku said, his body ridged from shock.

His face then twisted into an expression of horror. “I’m going to be in so much trouble!”

Quickly, Izuku grabbed his treasure bag, throwing the book and his gloves into it. He put the card into his pocket and started to book it, going over the massive mounds of garbage. He didn’t stop until he was a good distance from the beach, at which point he collapsed in an alley.

“Oh, man,” Izuku groaned. “The owner of those cards is going to be so mad at me. And what was with that light show? I must have at least caused a disturbance.”

He sighed before digging back into his treasure bag, where he pulled out the book. “What am I going to do?”

Suddenly, the book started glowing again, causing Izuku to drop it in shock.

“Come on! Another light show?” He yelled out.

The boy watched the book warily as a small figure emerged from the front cover before it returned to normal. The figure was a small lion with a pair of angel wings floating in midair. It opened its beady black eyes and looked right at Izuku.

The two stared at one another…

“Hey, what’s up?” The lion cheerfully greeted. “Looks like someone finally found the book after all these years!”

Izuku stared at him in disbelief. “I… honestly don’t know what on Earth is happening here? Who are you?”

The lion chuckled. “Well, this is definitely better than the last time I woke. I’m Kerberos, the Beast of the Seal! But you can call me Kero, it’s shorter. What’s your name?”

“Izuku… Midoriya Izuku,” Izuku told him. “What do you mean by seal?”

Kero floated down to the ground. “The one on this book. I guard the cards inside and keep them from causing trouble.”

Izuku blanched.

Kero blinked at his expression. “Wait… don’t tell me…”

“I’m so sorry!” Izuku cried as he bowed, forehead on the ground. “I found the book and it unlocked and I pulled out one of the card and there was a bunch of wind and they all went fly and I’msosorrypleasedon’thateme.”

Kero, however, just sighed. “You called out Windy, didn’t you?”

Izuku looked up. “Um, yeah?”

The little plush face palmed. “Of course it was Windy. Why did we put her on top? Do we have to have the cards scatter like that?”

“Uh,” Izuku pulled himself back up, “I’m sorry for causing the cards to scatter. If you want, I can help you find them.”

Kero smiled at him. “Of course you’re going to find them. You’re the newest Cardcaptor! And you just so happen to be starting out like the last one.”

Izuku froze, trying to process what the little creature said. When it finally went through, he said the most sophisticated response he could give.

“ _What_!?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how often I'll be able to update, so always be on the lookout for a new chapter.  
> To all my reader, watchers, and reviewers, Stay Golden!


	3. Flying High on the Winds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku has his role of Cardcaptor explained to him and the first of the Sakura Cards appears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “If you were born without wings, do nothing to prevent them from growing.”  
> -Coco Chanel

Izuku dodged around the lunch rush crowd as he made his way back to his apartment complex, his hood pulled up. He tried to focus on skating, how he swerved around…

“Are you sure we should do this?”

…but he had _someone_ who wouldn’t let his mind wander.

“Listen, I don’t much about what is going on,” Izuku replied to Kero, who was currently in his hood, “but I know this is something big, so I want it explained to both me _and_ my mom.”

“But why should we bring her into this?” Kero asked.

“Because this is clearly something bigger, and possibly more dangerous, than anything I’ve faced, even with the bare minimum information I have,” Izuku explained. “This is something I have to tell her. If I don’t, she’ll eventually find out, and I’ll be in huge trouble for not telling her in the first place. Not to mention with whatever this… _Cardcaptor_ role is, I’m sure she’ll be able to support me when I need it.”

“Speaking of which, why don’t you want me telling you everything right now?”

“One, I don’t think we should talk about that kind of sensitive information in public. The streets have ears, and you never know what people can do with information. Two, since we’re telling my mom anyways, it’s for your sake so you don’t have to repeat yourself.”

Kero nodded and quieted down, opting to watch the world go by as Izuku continued on.

Eventually, the apartment complex appeared and Izuku was soon in front of his door. He took a deep breath to steel himself before entering.

“I’m back,” Izuku called out.

Inko immediately rushed over and started to fuss over him. “Are you okay? Did anything happen to you? Anything hurt?”

Izuku backed up a little. “I’m fine. Why would there be anything wrong?”

“Something strange happened not to long ago,” Inko informed him. “They sky went dark and then these odd lights started going off. No one knows what it was or why it happened, and I was worried something happened to you.”

Her son gulped, a few drops of sweat on his forehead. “A-actually, Mom, I… I…”

“Hello, Midoriya-san!” Kero greeted as he popped out of Izuku’s hood.

Izuku blanched while Inko looked surprised.

“I-I can explain!” Izuku quickly said.

* * *

“So, that’s what the lights and darkening sky were.”

Inko sipped the tea she had prepared. Izuku stared hesitantly at his mother while Kero was chomping on some square cookies the mother had brought out.

“Yeah, I didn’t mean to do it,” Izuku remarked, looking down at his own tea. “It all happened so fast. I didn’t know reading a card would cause so much trouble.”

“So, what happens now?” Inko asked.

Izuku looked to Kero. “That’s his job to explain.”

The little plush looked up, half eaten cookie in hand. “Huh?”

“You were going to explain the whole Cardcaptor thing,” Izuku reminded. “Now that my mom is here and we’re indoors, you can explain.”

“Oh, right,” Kero replied as he polished off the rest of the cookie. “Do you still have the book the cards were in?”

Izuku nodded and pulled the hollowed out book from his treasure bag. As he picked it up, he noticed how it no longer had the picture of the winged lion, leaving a large blank section in the center of the cover. However, he shrugged it off and placed the book onto the table.

The book floated up behind Kero, who cleared his throat. “Years ago, a sorcerer named Clow Reed created a deck of magic cards using a combination of eastern and western magic. Known as Clow Cards, each one was alive and had its own special powers. However, they did as they please when they were without a seal ordinary people couldn’t control them.”

“Those were the cards I released?” Izuku asked.

“Almost,” Kero clarified. “Years after Clow’s death, the book and Cards found their way into the hands of a girl, Kinomoto Sakura. She was the first Cardcaptor, tasked with collecting the Clow Cards which she had released the same way you had. Eventually, she became the Master of the Cards and converted them into new forms under her name, the Sakura Cards.”

“So _that’s_ what I released?”

Kero nodded. “But even in a different form, the Cards are still powerful and dangerous. Many are mischievous and will cause chaos if left unsealed. That’s why I was in the cover of the book, to watch over the cards until the newest Cardcaptor appears and then guide them on their mission to recover them should they be scattered again.”

He then turned to the boy and pointed right at him. “And the newest Cardcaptor is you, Izuku.”

“Wait a minute,” Inko interrupted. “Why Izuku? No offense dear.”

“None taken,” Izuku replied. “I’m a bit curious myself.”

“The book opened for him,” the plush told them. “It would only open in the presence of one who had the magic to do so, like it did for Sakura years ago. Not only that, but he was able to scatter the cards using Windy, something which would be impossible for those who don’t have the magic to do so, even if it is latent magic. As such, Izuku must go and collect the Sakura Cards by sealing them with magic, though each one will take a physical form until sealed, which can be troublesome if they fight back. This is his mission.”

Izuku looked down, bangs covering his eye. “I… I don’t know if I can…”

Kero turned to him in confusion. “Why not?”

“All of this, the entire role of Cardcaptor, it’s just something I don’t think I can do,” Izuku explained, his eyes still trained on the ground. “All I’ve ever been able to do is little things around the neighborhood, not something like this. I don’t have the power or skills or whatever you’d need to hunt down magic cards, especially if they’re causing chaos. You’re better off going to one of the heroes or even just another kid with some Quirk. As much as I don’t like some of them, at least they would have the skills or power to take this role.”

Kero stared at him for a bit before he sighed. “Of course, it seems one of the things you and your predecessor have in common is your starting reluctance.”

He flew up to Izuku’s face, forcing the greenette to look up. “Look here, Izuku. I may not know everything about the world now, I don’t understand why there are heroes or what you mean by Quirks, but I’ll tell you this. Sakura, like yourself, wasn’t powerful before she became Cardcaptor. She was an ordinary girl for her time, and there were thousands of other people who were stronger or smarter or more skillful than her. But she was still chosen just like you. And right now, you’re the only one who can seal the Sakura Cards.”

The plush put his hands to his hips. “Besides, I’m not expecting you to be powerful now. That would be stupid considering you’ve hardly seen any real magic. You’ll grow with time, gaining new cards and mastering their abilities. All I need for you to be now is to be willing to work at it, to take this role.”

Izuku looked back to the ground, uncertainty filling his features. However, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see his mom, smiling softly at him.

“Izuku, I’ve always believed you could be a hero,” she told him. “I’ll admit, I don’t understand this as much as I wish I did, and I know I’ll probably be stressing for you for days on end, but I can see that this is your chance to make a difference in the world, more so than just in our neighborhood, something I know you’ve wanted since you were young. Don’t waste this.”

The boy’s eye shimmered, thankful for his mother’s words. He took a deep breath before returning his attention to Kero.

“Alright, I’ll… I’ll do it,” he told the lion. “I’ll… I’ll become the Cardcaptor and collect the Sakura Cards.”

Kero smiled at him. “Sweet! Then let’s get things rolling.”

He pointed off to the side of the table, where there was a clear space. “Step over there.”

“O-kay…” Izuku muttered as he moved into position.

The book moved to the edge closest to the greenette and Kero hopped on top before he started to glow. The room vanished, leaving a blue-yellow void with the summoning circle around Izuku. All that remained were Izuku, Kero, Inko, and the book. Both Midoriya’s look around in confusion while Kero was unfazed.

“Key of the Seal,” Kero said, his voice eerily monotone. “There is someone wishing for a contract with you. A boy. His name is Izuku.”

From the keyhole of the clasp, a ball of light popped out, gently flying over to Izuku.

“Oh Key, grant him the power!” Kero continued. “ _RELEASE_!”

The ball of light burst, enveloping the space in its energy. A small key that had been hidden inside the ball spun around, growing into a staff.

“Izuku!” Kero called. “Grab the staff!”

Izuku complied, steadily moving forward while shielding his eyes from the vast amount of light. He reached forward, his hands making contact with wood. The staff grew even longer under his grasp as the world melted away.

* * *

_You wish to wield me?_

_Very well, but know there is a price. You’re very fate is bonded to me, and you must hold up the role of Cardcaptor._

_I see in your mind the world has changed much since my last wielder. For you, I shall give you what you need to hide. Use it well. The cards shall come soon, their power being weighed against your soul._

_Now, you know the words, go and fulfill your role!_

_Go young Cardcaptor!_

* * *

“Whoa…”

Izuku looked at the staff in his hands, testing its weight as he moved it from hand to hand. The rod was forest green and ended in two golden parts. The bottom one was little more than just shaped gold while the top was designed like a bird’s head. Said part was composed of a gold base ‘head’, a forest green gem ‘eyes’, a pair of white wings, and a red gem ‘beak’.

“What… is this?” Izuku questioned, still in awe.

“That is the Sealing Staff,” Kero explained. “One of the most powerful magical artifacts in existance and the only item that can seal the Sakura Cards.”

“Amazing…” Inko whispered, watching her son as he twirled the staff.

After he was done testing, Izuku slung the staff over his shoulders. “So… what do I do now? Do I have some sort of magic practice I can do? Or some way to track the Cards?”

“You don’t need to worry too much right now,” Kero waved him off. “You only have Windy, which isn’t exactly something you can practice with, especially in the city, and we don’t have a way to track the Cards without a lead on where they might be.”

Izuku knelt down, leveling himself with the plush. “What can Windy do anyways?”

“Well, like her name would imply and what you’ve no doubt seen, she can create strong gusts of wind. Beyond that, she can also become a binding chain to tie down Cards, or anyone else for that matter.”

“So, she can control the wind,” Izuku mumbled. “But is it limited to just wind she makes? Can she control natural winds? Tornadoes? Can she take a physical form while under my command? Does she have a range on how much she wind can make? Can-”

“Whoa, whoa! Slow down there!” Kero cut in.

Inko giggled from her spot on the couch. “Don’t mind him. He’s always had a nasty habit of mumbling when he starts think about big things.”

Izuku sheepishly rubbed his head. “Yeah, sorry about that.”

Kero smirked. “At least we won’t have to worry about you being short on ideas. How old are you anyways?”

“Me? Eleven. I’ll be twelve in a few months.”

Kero rubbed his chin in thought. “A bit older than Sakura when she started, but not bad.”

“Now then,” the plush stated, “I heard something earlier about lunch?”

* * *

“I think I’m starting to see why you don’t like these heroes much.”

Izuku set down his pencil and paused the video playing on his laptop. “Glad you understand my point of view. I’m probably one of the few people on this Earth who don’t like most heroes, aside from the villains.”

Kero turned back to the screen, his face resting on his hands as he sat. “I don’t understand why these Quirks are so great. From all the videos you’ve shown me, they always seem to have some sort of limit. Magic is way more versatile.”

Izuku shrugged. “I think magic was hidden around your time, so when Quirks started to appear, it was something no human, to the mass population’s knowledge, had ever done. Then as Quirks grew in number, so anything magic based probably got pushed even deeper underground.”

The beast nodded. “Do we have to keep watching this? I get you’re taking notes, but this guy has just been going in some cycle and destroying all the buildings in the area. Maybe we could watch a movie before bed?”

“Yeah, I was about to change it anyways,” Izuku replied, taking a quick peek at the darkened sky outside his window. “There’s nothing new to gather when they keep doing the same thing over and over again.”

Izuku clicked the home icon to search for new videos. That’s when he noticed a live stream from the news channel titled _New Villain Attack_. Curious, he clicked on it.

What he saw shocked him.

On screen, there was a female reporter in a helicopter, the wind whipping around her long, red hair. Down below, something _big_ was sitting in the middle of the street.

_“Are we live?”_ The reporter asked before focusing on the camera. _“This is Hikari Akemi reporting to you live from downtown Musutafu, where, mere moments ago, a new villain mysteriously began to attack.”_

The camera changed, this time focusing on the fighting going on down below. Several heroes were fighting off a giant bird, and they were losing badly. Long ranged attacks did nothing, as the creature merely flapped its giant wings to blast back the attacks. Even heroes who got close enough didn’t fare any better, many of them being knocked back into buildings.

But something was off for Izuku. The way the bird screeched, he felt he could hear words beneath it, cries of pain that echoed in his soul. The longer he looked, the more he felt like he was about to yell out in anger at the heroes or tear up in sorrow.

_“We have been yet to be informed of the villain’s Quirk or motivation. Some contacted experts on Quirk Development, however, have theorized that this may be a mutation Quirk that has temporarily gone out of control. All civilians are asked to remain indoors until this villain has been contained. If needed, move to an underground location due to the villain’s flight ability. Until then, we shall be reporting live on the situation.”_

Izuku muted the video and gazed down at Kero. The plush’s eyes were trained on the screen, watching as the mysterious bird kept fighting the heroes.

“Kero,” Izuku called, snapping the lion’s attention away from the video, “is… is that a Sakura Card?”

Kero nodded. “That’s the Fly Card.”

He stared back at the video. “But… I don’t understand. Fly is normally more gentle than this. Last time, she only went after Sakura and did some slightly disruptive flying, not attacking the entire city or even a bunch of heroes.”

“Maybe when it was flying overhead they mistook it for a villain,” Izuku suggested. “Then they attacked first.”

“Maybe,” The lion shook off his shock. “But now is not the time for wondering. We’ve got to go capture Fly! None of those heroes can stop he, and they’ll tear down the city at this rate!”

“Wait, go out and capture Fly in front of everyone, even while it’s being filmed?” Izuku said in shock. “That’s illegal! I’ll be marked as a vigilante for fighting without a license!”

“This is your job as Cardcaptor!” Kero argued. “No one else can seal the cards! And this isn’t their territory! It’s yours!”

His voice broke a little, his face looking more desperate. “Please, Izuku! I’ve never seen a Card in this kind of pain before! Even if Fly doesn’t fall under my command, I still look out for all the Cards! And I don’t want he to destroy the entire city because she’s being attacked by people who call themselves heroes!”

Izuku stared at the begging expression on his new partner’s face. Perhaps the sounds beneath Fly’s shrieks were not just his imagination. Before he knew it, his resolve caved.

“Fine. I guess if I have to, I can explain everything to the police if I get caught.”

However, just as the words left Izuku’s mouth, the door of his room opened. Both Cardcaptor and beast froze to see Inko standing before them, green cloth in her hands.

“I… can explain?” Izuku weakly said.

“I saw the news and heard your yelling,” his mother told him. “You best get going.”

Izuku was taken aback. “You… you agree with this?”

Inko gave him a smile, though it was a bit somber. “I wish you would stay home rather than fight a giant bird, but… I know that this is something you have to do. Kero said it himself, only you can seal those cards. All I can do is support you.”

She handed him the cloth, which turned out to be a hoodie. “Put this on, and keep clear of the cops if they try to corner you. While you don’t have a Quirk and technically aren’t doing anything illegal, I highly doubt they will believe you have magic.”

Izuku silently took and put on the clothing, making sure most of his hair was tucked under the hood. Kero decided to hide under hood like before, keeping him out of sight. Before the greenette could leave, Inko leaned down and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

“Come home safely,” she whispered in his ear.

He nodded. “I’ll do the best I can.”

With that, he rushed for the door, getting on his shoes and making his way to the fight. Inko watched him go in silence. When he was gone, she folded her hands and bowed her head.

“Please… if there is anyone watching out for my son, please help him in his trials, and help bring him back to me, alive and well.”

* * *

It wasn’t long before Izuku found himself on top of one of the buildings close to the scene of the battle.

Well, it was actually several buildings away, but he couldn’t get any closer on the ground. Crowds of people who were eager to see the fighting (“A bunch of idiots,” Kero accurately described) had crowded out the street. Even then, several officers gave the heroes a good chunk of space, preventing most of the crowd from getting hurt but also forcing Izuku back.

Along with this, he swore he could hear what sounded like booming drums and the same million bell jingle he heard when he found the book. Part of him was worried the stress was getting to him and making him hallucinate, which he honestly wouldn’t doubt.

Still, the fight was within sight, he had to get to it, no matter what distance or sound stood in his way.

“Breath,” Kero whispered into his ear. “You know the words, now use them to go capture that Card.”

Following the support, Izuku took a deep breath before pulling out the key from his pocket.

“Key that hides the dark, reveal your true form before me!” He chanted. “I, Deku, command you under our contract! Release!”

Lights formed around Izuku, amplified by the darkened sky, as the summoning circle appeared underneath him. Key grew in size, becoming the Sealing Staff once more.

Kero looked puzzled as Izuku gripped the staff. “Deku? Where’d that come from?”

“I’ll tell you when there isn’t a giant bird wrecking downtown,” Izuku remarked as he moved to the edge of the building. “Okay, too far for me to jump safely… I guess I’ll test out Windy.”

He moved back again, giving him some running room before pulling out the card.

“Wind, carry me to Fly. Windy!”

He smacked the staff onto the card, summoning circle reappearing. From the card came the winged, wind spirit, but Izuku gave little attention to her. Once she was out, he took a running leap at the edge, aiming for the next building, the spirit floating beside him.

Sure enough, his jump wasn’t enough to clear the gap, but Windy came to his rescue, winds wrapping around him and pulling him to the next building. This continued on, Windy aiding Izuku in his jumps before they gathered at the edge of the building right beside Fly, at which point Windy returned to card form.

It was up close that Izuku felt his nerves returning. He could smell smoke and fire, hear the screeches of Fly without interference, and see how bad it truly was. Heroes were still trying to gang up on the spirit, but they never gained any ground.

Kero tightened his grip on Izuku’s hood. “Those stupid heroes!”

The greenette wondered what his friend was talking about, but he understood when he looked back at the scene. Fly was starting to fly up, but several heroes ran over to grab her legs and wings, pulling her back down. The bird’s screech became more pained as she hit the ground, the heroes once again trying to fight her with the same amount of success as before.

“She’s trying to get away,” Izuku growled. “They aren’t letting her leave and they’re hurting both her and the city!”

Izuku felt a tingling sensation in his hand. He looked down to see that he was still holding Windy, but the card seemed to have a faint glow surrounding it.

_Hurt… her… stop… stupid… heroes… save… her…_

The female voice, elegant yet filled with fury, echoed in his head amongst the drums and bells. Izuku could feel the wind grow more violent and untamed around him, all of it swooping down at the heroes. In the back of his mind, and he didn’t know why, Izuku understood what the voice was and what it was asking. And he already had a plan in mind.

“Don’t worry,” Izuku whispered to the Card. “We’ll get her out of this.”

He threw the card into the air. “Wind, stop the heroes and help Fly escape, Windy!”

The wind spirit appeared once more and rushed to the scene below with visible winds trailing behind her. Izuku caught onto one, allowing himself to be pulled off the building. Windy flew right in between the heroes and Fly, creating a huge current of wind that blocked the heroes off from the two Cards. Meanwhile, Izuku managed to safely land on Fly’s back.

Fly, unconcerned with the small weight on her back, took to the air now that Windy was shielding her. Izuku held on as best as he could with one hand, waiting until she cleared the buildings to do anything.

“Fly!” Izuku shouted once they were in the sky.

The bird turned her head back to him, but she didn’t stop rising.

_Escape… please… keep… keep them… keep them away from me!_

The words in his head slowly started to come together, forming full sentences. And he understood everything he was told. But what made his blood boil was the pained and fearful tone in the new voice.

“Don’t worry!” Izuku called. “I have a plan so they won’t get you! But you have to listen to me and fly as high as possible!”

Fly nodded and turned her head back to the sky, actively moving up as fast as possible.

The drums in Izuku’s head suddenly increased behind him. When he looked back, he instantly wished he hadn’t.

“Oh, god, we’re up so high!” Izuku screamed, his voice rising an octave as he tightened his grip on Fly’s feathers.

“Calm down!” Kero chided. “Just follow through with whatever your plan is!”

The boy tried following the beast’s words, trying to slow his breathing before he would hyperventilate. However, the sound of drums still rang in his ears, though it was now coupled with the sound of clipping. Before he could look back again, Windy appeared beside them.

_‘I couldn’t hold them off for long,’_ the voice which Izuku knew could only be Windy’s rang in his head. _‘They’re coming after us!’_

Izuku’s stomach dropped as he looked back. Sure enough, there was several helicopters coming up from behind. Most of them were police coppers, but one was the news copter.

“Oh, come on!” He shouted.

“These guys don’t know when to quit!” Kero shouted upon seeing the flying machines.

“Windy! Do you think you can push Fly up higher?” Izuku called out to the card.

_‘I can certainly try!’_ Windy replied.

She dove underneath them and summoned up her winds, creating an updraft beneath them that raised them even higher. Having no time to be scared of heights, Izuku peered down at the choppers, which were unfortunately gaining.

_‘Don’t let them get me!’_ Fly shouted.

Izuku looked back up to her, her eyes full of fear.

“This is a bit risky, but those heroes are gaining too fast,” Izuku muttered.

“What do you mean?” Kero asked, worried.

“Sorry about this, Fly,” Izuku said, ignoring Kero’s question.

He swung the Sealing Staff up. “Return to the form from once you came! Sakura Card!”

The staff sung down, hitting air as a card shape formed at the end of its beak. Energy came out of the shape, surrounding Fly. The bird stopped mid flight, her body twisting into energy as she was absorbed into the card.

_‘Thank… you….’_

The card, now mostly normal, floated into the boy’s hand.

And then he started to fall.

“This was your big plan!?” Kero shouted, desperately gripping the inside of the hood.

“Part of it!” Izuku yelled back as he held up Fly. “Card of Sakura, lend your powers to my key! Transfer the magic dwelling within and become my power!”

He threw Fly, and hit it with the end of the staff. The summoning circle appeared in the air as Izuku yelled, “Fly!”

The fake wings on the staff grew with magical energy, becoming real. Without missing a beat, Izuku hopped onto the staff and rode it like witch on a broomstick. Not taking any chances with the mass of heroes in helicopters, he took off into the night sky, the flying machines unable to even get close.

When the heroes vanished behind him, Izuku sighed in relief.

“Well…” Kero said, “that was a pretty good first outing.”

Izuku gave him a deadpanned look as Windy returned to his hand. “Really?”

The plush shrugged as he hopped out of the hood, opting to fly alongside the boy. “I’ll admit, not as good as Sakura, and that stunt at the end was pretty risky, but given the fact that you literally had to deal with several superpowered heroes with only one Card, I’d say that getting the Card and getting away makes this successful.”

“That was the most terrifying experience in my life,” Izuku claimed.

Kero stared at him.

“What?”

“I can sense a ‘but’ in there, Izuku.”

Izuku looked away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Izuku…”

The boy relented. “That was the most terrifying experience in my life… but it felt good to help Fly out and save the city while showing those stupid, prideful heroes their place.”

The beast smiled. “Looks like this is your new beginning, Cardcaptor.”

“And what a beginning…” Izuku said under his breath.

He perked up. “Let’s get home before Mom worries too much.”

With that, the two took off, heading back for the apartment complex where the newest Cardcaptor would likely have to deal with a worried mother.

* * *

“Izuku? It’s almost ten. Are you awake?”

Inko opened the door to her son’s room, finding the boy lying face down in his pillow.

She walked over and shook him slightly. “Izuku? Are you okay?”

“Not really…” Izuku replied, though slightly muted by the pillow.

He slowly turned to look at her. “My body feels really sore. I didn’t get much sleep because of it.”

Kero floated over to the magician’s face. “It must be magical exhaustion. Using Windy, a high level Card, so much in such a short time must have tapped you out, especially given the fact that was your first time using magic.”

Izuku returned his face to his pillow. “I’m really glad I don’t go to school. I’d be dead.”

Kero and Inko both chuckled.

“Don’t worry, sweetie,” Inko told him, “I’ll go prepare you some breakfast.”

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. She then left the room with Kero watching over the eleven-year-old.

“Will it be like this every time?” Izuku asked the Beast of the Seal.

“Shouldn’t be,” Kero replied. “Like I said yesterday, you’ll grow with time and become stronger. This exhaustion shouldn’t become common unless you stress yourself.”

He smiled down at Izuku. “But just so you know, Cardcaptor, this is only the beginning. Fly is one of the easier Cards to defeat, it was Sakura’s first Card too. From here on out, everything will get harder.”

Izuku slumped even more into his pillow. “What did I sign up for?”

However, a smile did appear on his face, though covered by the cushion, as he thought about the Sakura Cards and everything he could do with them to help others.

_Well, maybe it will be interesting…._

* * *

Meanwhile, in a dark room, a screen was currently playing the events of last night, showing off the main action. The figure, seated in a large chair, took a sip of their tea as they watched Windy cut off the heroes and Izuku jumped onto of the bird.

When the video showed the bird disappearing and the boy’s staff sprouting wings, the figure hummed in thought.

“Things are going to get very, _very_ interesting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all my readers, watchers, and reviewers, Stay Golden!

**Author's Note:**

> To all my readers, watchers, and reviewers, Stay Golden!


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